


Here Grows the Heart

by LittleTayy



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Mother/Son Bonding, Other, Regina-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-27
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-09 15:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/775741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTayy/pseuds/LittleTayy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Driving over the town line she knew it was the best decision she'd ever made in her long, miserable life. A story of growth, love, acceptance and finally finding your happy ending. Regina-centric. Regina/OC. Regina/Henry, mother/son bonding. Regina/Emma friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Three years was how long it'd taken Henry, and Emma, to find Regina. They'd tracked her all the way down to Los Angles, but much to both their disappointment they'd found that Regina had moved back to the East coast. So now here they were, in a town just out side of Charleston, South Carolina, looking for the right address. 

Both their brows furrowed in disbelief when they pulled up to the right address. It was a little two storey brown cottage, with shutters on the windows and a large garden filled with plants and trees. They looked to each other again before Henry looked down at the address, making sure they were at the right place. 

"This is the right address, 62 Evergreen Road," Henry says, pushing his phone in front of Emma's face, showing the map. 

After a moment Emma finally spoke, "Well go on then kid," she said, tilting her head towards the house. This whole endeavour had been for Henry's benefit, the now 14 year old had been missing his mother steadily for three years and Emma had decided it was time they'd found the brunette. At least that's what she tried to convince herself; she didn't want to admit that she missed Regina too. 

Henry sighed, getting out of the car and making his way through the gate and up the path. Stopping in front of the front door, he turned halfway to look back at Emma, worry and anxiety etched on his young features. His blonde mother flashed him what she hoped was an encouraging smile as he turned back around, taking a deep breath and knocking on the old wood of the door. 

A silent, awkward moment later the door was pulled open but not by the woman he had expected. Henry instead looked up into the unfamiliar dark blue eyes of a man he'd never seen before. He took a small step back, quickly casting his gaze over the man before him; he was fairly tall, muscled, light stubble across his chin and cheeks, with dark brown hair atop his head. 

"Can I uh...help you?" the man asked, his voice deep and smooth. Henry looked up at him again before glancing back at the address on his phone, frowning deeper than before. 

"Um, does a Regina Mills live here?" he asked cautiously, taking a little step backwards. 

"Yeah, she does kid," he answered, "I'll just get her," he continued, eying the kid suspiciously but turning and walking into the house in search of Regina. 

Several moments later, a slightly fidgety Henry looked back up to see his mother and the man standing in the doorway. Regina looked decidedly different, her hair longer and her clothes not the pressed business ensembles Henry had seen through his childhood but it was still his mother. Her eyes and mouth were wide open in surprise and despite the uneasy feeling, Henry beamed up at the mother he hadn't seen for three years. 

"Mom," he exclaimed happily, throwing his arms around her in a tight hug uncharacteristic of a 14 year old boy. 

***

_Three Years Ago_

_"There's nothing left for me here," Regina says quietly, tiredly. She is looking towards the blonde saviour, hoping she'd understand._

_"What are you talking about Regina? You've got Henry and...Me," she blusters out, partially angry and partially confused. She doesn’t understand what Regina is saying, why she's making this decision now or how she can possibly change her mind. She doesn't really think she wants Regina to go but she isn't sure she wants her to stay either; there are too many conflicting emotions within her to deal with._

_Regina scoffs, crossing her arms across her chest almost defensively, "No, I don't. Henry hasn't been mine for a long time, you've certainly seen to that and I most definitely don't have you either," she tells her resignedly._

_Regina looks away then, glancing towards her packed car. A suitcase sits on the backseat, filled with close she'll probably dispose of and a box rests on the floor, filled with her most precious possessions. A photo album of Henry, some of his more sincere gifts, her mothers’ locket and a jewellery box her daddy had given her on her 12th year. It was a dismal showing of her life but there wasn't much else she wanted to remember, from this land or the other._

_"Regina, please, please don't go," Emma practically begs although she has no idea why she does. After everything, Emma should truly and utterly hate the woman in front of her but; she just can't bring herself to. She wants to imagine she only cares because the woman raised Henry, and loved him the best she could, when Emma herself couldn't; but she can't be sure it isn't something more either._

_"I've made my decision Miss Swan and you won't persuade me from it," Regina tells her with a sigh, looking back up to the blonde._

_"Right," the blonde nods in anger, her stubbornness setting in. As much as she knows how wrong it'll be for Regina to not be here, especially for Henry, she will not fight for her. Regina is the Evil Queen after all, she ruined everyone's lives and Emma knows she should just be glad the witch wants to leave and yet it doesn't quite settle right within her._

_Regina, seeing that Emma had finally given up almost sighed in relief. She turned towards her car, opening the drivers’ side door but hesitated for a moment. She glanced briefly over her shoulder at the blonde as she spoke, "Tell-tell Henry I love him...please," she says so quietly Emma almost doesn't hear it. The blonde says nothing in return, just watches as Regina gets into her Mercedes and pulls out of her drive way without a glance backwards._

_Regina drives through town, eyes steadfastly fixed straight ahead. She does not want to reminisce or dig up memories of the last 29 years she'd spent in Storybrooke. She'd thought there'd be tears or some type of emotion as she got closer and closer towards the town line but there is only brief pain of leaving Henry and relief. Relief that she'd finally be leaving her painful past behind and relief that she was going to finally be free, just like she'd always wanted._

_Driving over the town line she knew it was the best decision she'd ever made in her long, miserable life._

***

Regina smiled at her lover as he stood across the room from her, holding a lilac paint swatch up against the ugly brown wall of the room they were in. The room had just been cleared out; nothing was in there, in preparation for their painting endeavour. She rested a hand on her rounded belly, rubbing it gently as she thought over the colour; lilac was a pretty colour but she just wasn't sure it was right. 

"What about the sunshine yellow?" she suggests as she moves across the room, plucking the colour swatch from her lovers hand and holding it against the wall. 

"I don't know Regina...isn't it a bit bright?" the man jokes, looking down at the former queen with a teasing grin. 

"Too bright? Honestly Jack," she laughs, rolling her eyes at her partner. "I think yellow's the perfect colour for our little one's nursery," she continues, smiling up at him sincerely. 

Jack Johnson smiles down at his lover, knowing he'll concede on the yellow because he loves Regina and really, anything that isn't this ugly brown will be better. He tosses the paint swatches to the ground, stepping forward to pull Regina closer, pecking her lightly on the lips. Regina easily let's him pull her closer, sighing happily into the kiss, grinning as they pulled away. 

"The yellow's good, anything but this brown," he says, taking the yellow swatch from her hand and pressing it to the wall. He takes a roll of tape from his pocket and sticks a strip over the edge of the swatch, securing it to the wall. Regina watches him curiously as he taps it, "Now we can just keep that there until we buy all the paint. To remind us what colour we decided on," he says with a grin and a nod. 

Regina nods happily, leaning up to kiss Jack again. Their lips meet sweetly at first but then Regina pushes closer, hands crawling up Jack's body and tongue swiping at his lip. Jack's own hands rested gently on her waist, holding her as close as they could get. Their moment however was interrupted by a knocking on the front door, startling them both. 

"I'll get it," Jack tells her softly, pecking her on the forehead as he left the room. Regina watched after him happily, a surge of love and warmth filling her as she now thought about her life. This had been what she'd always wanted, pure happiness, the kind that came with love and inner peace. Something which she'd never achieved before, something which she was all too afraid would come crashing down around her one day. 

She started to make her way downstairs, curious as to who could be at the door. They didn't know a lot of people here yet, only the people Jack worked for and they certainly wouldn't just stop by like this. Halfway down the stairs, she see's Jack at the bottom, looking up at her with a slightly confused expression. 

"There's a kid, at the door for you."

Regina frowns; she doesn't know anyone well enough here, especially not a child. She comes the rest of the way down the stairs before speaking, "Did they give you a name?" she asks curiously. 

Jack shakes his head, "Nah. Just asked if a Regina Mills lived here. Kid looks about 13 or 14, brown hair, brown eyes. Looks like any other teenager to be honest." 

The description, though vague, sets off a reminder in Regina's head of a little boy she'd once adopted. She can't help but think of Henry at the moment, her little boy who would be 14 now; her first child one, one she hadn't seen in three years. There was a dull pain in her heart as she thought of Henry but she quickly shook it off, he was in the past now and she had to look towards the future; her happy future. 

They walk towards the front door, Regina wondering who this kid was that wanted to speak to her. She stopped, frozen in the doorway as she took in the young teenager in front of her. He was slightly taller, less chubby and hair more tousled but she knew, that was her baby boy, her Henry.

"Mom," he exclaimed happily, and before she could do anything he'd wrapped her tight in a hug. Her own arms automatically came to wrap cautiously around him too before turning her head to look up at Jack. His expression was almost unreadable but she could feel the confusion coming off of him in waves.


	2. Chapter 2

Here Grows the Heart

Chapter Two

A moment later, after revelling in the feel of having Henry in her arms she pulled away. She looked at her son, who was now almost as tall as she was, in complete and utter surprise. She didn't understand how he could be here, how he could've possibly found her at all.

"Henry," she breathed, "What are you doing here?" she asked, brow creased in confusion. She could feel Jack tense beside her and knew she'd have a ton of explaining to do later. She hadn't exactly told him all the details of her life before she'd met him and she really couldn't stand the thought of him being angry with her.

"Wait! Are you pregnant mom?" Henry exclaimed suddenly, not answering her question. He looked down at her stomach now noticing the slight bulge that had obstructed his way while he'd hugged her. Regina cringed at the use of the word 'mom', glancing briefly towards Jack who'd taken a step back into the foyer, arms crossed over his chest.

Looking back towards Henry Regina smiled tightly, "Why don't you come in Henry and we can talk some more," the brunette suggests, stepping out of the doorway, allowing the teen to enter. Henry hesitates for a moment, looking back over his shoulder at the car Emma sits in, wondering if he should tell his mother Emma was with him.

"Um thanks but...Emma's kinda here too," he mumbles, glancing back to Regina almost sheepishly. He hadn't known exactly what had gone on with his mothers but he'd known it'd hurt Emma; Regina hadn't been there for him to see her reaction.

He watched as his brunette mother sighed, looking passed him to the black rental car in front of her house. She waited for a moment before nodding, only slightly, letting Henry know it was okay to go get Emma out of the car. The boy turned and dashed back down the path towards the car his blonde mother was waiting in, pulling open the door and leaning halfway into the car.

"It's the right place, mom's here. She said you could come in too," he told her with subdued excitement. There'd been two surprises, the man and her pregnancy, at least he assumed she was pregnant; she certainly looked it. He wasn't sure how to feel about either development, he certainly hadn't been expecting it, after all it'd always just been him and her until Emma had come along and he wasn't used to sharing his mom.

Emma frowned at Henry's words, she'd been watching the whole interaction and she'd seen the shock on Regina's face. She had also noticed the large man that'd opened the door and his tense posture as Regina and Henry continued to talk. It'd seemed a little awkward and strained and Emma wasn't sure her presence would help matters at all; still Henry wanted her to come in with him and she wasn't about to disappoint the 14 year old.

"Alright," she sighed, turning the car off and unbuckling her seatbelt. Eventually she got out of the car, locking it and trudging up the path after Henry reluctantly. She felt a bout of déjà vu at the action, remembering a time almost four years ago when she'd first, awkwardly met Regina.

They stopped at the open front door, both standing awkwardly on the front step. Emma shoved her hands in her pockets as she heard a snippet of the conversation the former Evil Queen was having. She tried not to listen and she knew Henry was trying not to either but it was hard to miss the next sentence from a booming, smooth voice.

"He called you mom Regina!"

"It's complicated Jack."

They heard Regina cry out in response. It was quiet for a moment before the man they both assumed was called Jack came barrelling into the foyer. He grabbed a coat off the rack, not paying any attention to the two people just outside his door. "I'll be back later Regina," he calls out gruffly before pushing passed them as politely as he could.

A beat later Regina appears, watching him go with a look in her eyes neither Emma nor Henry can distinguish. Regina notices them finally and smiles tightly at her two visitors and that's when Emma finally notices. Her mouth falls open none too subtly and she openly gapes at Regina's pregnant belly in disbelief.

"You're pregnant?" she blurts out, not thinking about her words in the least.

Regina sighs, "Yes I am," and then she glares a glare that's finally familiar and Emma quickly closes her mouth and averts her eyes almost sheepishly.

The ex-Mayor ushers them both into her home, closing the door behind them and leads them through a warm lounge room into the kitchen. There's a small round dining table with four seats and far less extravagant than what she'd had in the Mayor's manor. She sits in one of the seats, Henry to her left and Emma directly across from her, folding her hands together and resting them in front of her on the table.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, sounding far too much like the Mayor than either Emma or Henry had expected.

*****

__

Three Years Ago

"We can't keep doing this...I can't keep doing this," Regina murmured sadly, head falling into her hands.She is tired, she's been tired for so long and it's all just catching up to her now. She can't keep living the way she is, sleepless nights, lonely days, never seeing her son. It's taking its toll on her, it had been for longer than she'd care to admit and so she'd finally come to a decision.

"What are you talking about Regina?" Emma asked, confusion marring her pretty features.

Regina sighed, "I'm leaving Ms. Swan. I think it'll be best for everyone if I do. Especially me."

"The best for everyone? Are you kidding me Regina? Henry will be devastated! He's your son Regina...you can't just leave him," Emma protests, appalled by the notion.

"Don't you dare use Henry against me! He hasn't been my son since you swooped in here all those months ago and broke my curse! You're his mother...I'm just the Evil Queen that babysat him for ten years," she spits bitterly, angry tears pooling in her eyes.

Her arms wrap around her middle protectively, as if trying to keep out the hurt and the pain she was feeling. She looked away from the blonde, not wanting to let the Saviour see her tears as they fell down her cheeks. She startled however, when she felt hands on her arms, trying to soothe her.

"Please don't cry Regina," Emma whispers softly, not liking how broken the other woman looks.

"Evil Queens don't cry dear," Regina spits out, finally turning to look at the blonde.

Their eyes connect and they stare at each other for a moment, Emma's hand moving up to slowly brush away the tears trailing down Regina's face. She smiles softly, hoping to encourage a smile from the hardened brunette in front of her too.

"You mustn't be an Evil Queen then," she says softly, leaning closer and pressing her lips to the brunette's. For a moment, their lips are just pressed together before Regina finally responds, kissing Emma back gently. The blonde grins into the kiss, deepening it as she pulls the former Evil Queen closer, a hand on her waist.

In a second however, the contact is gone; Regina pushes Emma away, scrambling up from her sitting position to glare down at the blonde.

"Don't," Regina hisses, eyes fiery and blazing as she turns away from Emma and makes her way quickly inside her house. Emma sighs as she watches Regina run away, still seated on the grass that she'd landed on when Regina pushed her back.

*****

"What are you doing here?" his mother asks and Henry glances at Emma, frowning at the question. He doesn't understand how Regina, his mom, could possibly ask him that.

"What do you mean, why are we here? You've been gone for three years! Without a word! Henry missed you. I missed you," Emma exclaims, shocked and a little angry Regina would even ask that.

The brunette looks taken aback by the outburst before she quickly glares coldly in Emma's direction. "You know why! I told you why. It was for the best," she hissed angrily, knowing the blonde couldn't have honestly forgotten the conversation they'd had all those years ago.

The two women continue to glare at each other; Regina angry and Emma hurt. Henry sits beside his blonde mother, looking back and forth between them, brows creased, trying to figure out what they were talking about. He realized, with dismay, that there seemed to be far more to this whole thing then he'd realized. He absolutely did not like that he'd been left out of the loop like this.

"What are you talking about? What did you do?!" he spits out angrily turning to Emma, his voice growing deeper.

"Henry," Regina scolds out of habit as the teenager pushes off his seat, folding his arms over his chest crossly.

Emma for her part sighs, staring back at the teenager in frustration. The last few years have been hard and she'd quickly realized raising a child, especially one like Henry was a lot harder than she'd ever given Regina credit for. He was a good kid mostly; except for the skipping school, running off in the middle of the night and disappearing without telling one. She'd had so many near heart attacks; she couldn't even imagine what Regina had felt all those years ago too.

"Henry, look kid, this isn't the time okay? Things were complicated back then and you were just a kid alright. You didn't need to know everything," Emma tells him somewhat sternly, hoping he'll drop it for now. She's sure she'll get an earful when they're back in the rental and on their way back to the hotel.

Henry simply rolls his eyes, refraining from saying anything at all to his blonde mother. This isn't about her at the moment; it's about his mom Regina and how he could possibly convince her to come back to Storybrooke with them. His frown deepens at the thought because she's pregnant and that man she's with is obviously her boyfriend; something Henry isn't particularly sure he likes. Still though, there's a little part of him that's excited because he's going to be a big brother and he'd always wanted siblings.

"It wasn't Emma's fault Henry," Regina says after a moment, watching the interaction between the blonde and the teenager. Their dynamic isn't quite as mother/son as Regina has suspected it to be and despite herself she was glad. Though she'd left and chosen to let Emma have Henry, she'd always hoped the boy wouldn't just replace her with the blonde and she was glad to see he clearly hadn't.

Henry shrugs, in a way that's so typically teenager Regina isn't sure what to make of it for a moment. She ignores it however, looking over to Emma and silently imploring her to leave Henry and herself alone for a little while. The blonde takes the hint, standing from her seat and pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

"I'm just ah...going to call Mary Margaret...you know, let her know we're alright," she says to Henry, walking back towards the front door. The young teenager watches her go, rolling his eyes at her obviously made up excuse before turning back to Regina.

A moment of silence passes between them before he finally bucks up the courage to speak, "You didn't even say goodbye," he says sadly, sounding like the little 11 year old boy she'd left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two. It follows straight on from chapter one, as you can see. Im sorry this took so long, I'd thought I'd posted it weeks ago. Also, yes, there will be mentions of past sort-of-Swan Queen.


	3. Chapter 3

“Oh Henry, I know sweetheart,” Regina sighs, turning in her seat to face Henry directly. “I never should have just left like that. I should have said goodbye to you but…I didn’t think I could leave if I did. I am so sorry Henry,” she continues, taking both his hands in hers and squeezing them gently in apology. 

“Well if you’re so sorry why’d you leave to begin with?” he asks stubbornly, hands slipping from her grasp. Regina grasps at them however holding tightly, never wanting to let them go again. 

The pregnant brunette studied her little boy carefully; taking in his older features. She smiled wistfully, a hand coming up to brush a stray strand of hair away from his forehead, causing him to look at her intently. Regina smiled slightly as she saw the love still shining in Henry’s eyes, however diminished and scarred. 

Taking a deep breath to settle her emotions Regina spoke, “I know Henry. I know I shouldn’t have left like I did. It was wrong of me to just leave you like that but…I couldn’t stay Henry,” she tells him, hoping he’ll somehow understand but knowing he won’t.

“Why?” Henry asked, as confused as she knew he would be.

Regina sighed; how could she explain to a 14 year old, to her son the reasons she couldn’t stay in Storybrooke. How could she tell her baby boy that she’d felt so sad and alone that she had been close to killing herself. That her sanity had been slowing slipping away as she was exiled to her mansion, shunned by the rest of the town as punishment for her crimes. Oh, she knew she deserved it; in fact, it was almost merciful of them to let her live except for the fact that she craved and fed off human contact. 

“Henry…it was…a lot of things. It was better if I left Henry,” she tells him, trying her best to convey to him what she meant without having to actually tell him.

“Was it because of me? Did you think I didn’t love you anymore? Is that why you left?” he asks, voice thick with emotion.

Her heart breaks at the question and she feels the tears start to pool in her eyes. She didn’t know how to answer because if she was honest with herself, that had been part of the reason why. She hadn’t thought Henry loved her anymore and she couldn’t go on living in that town seeing him from afar but never having her love returned. She couldn’t tell him that though, she’d never tell him that she decided as she pulled him into a hug.

“Of course not Henry. Of course not,” she lied, reassuring the emotional teenager. 

*****

Two and a Half Years Ago

Regina stood from her small, cramped desk, stretching as she did so. She looked out of the window of her tiny office, smiling at the view is afforded her. She’d only been working here as the general manager for three or so months and already she’d fallen in love with the Bellevue Stables. She handled the day to day running of the stables, a task not dissimilar to running a town; only she enjoyed this much more.

She stood by the window, looking out over the main paddock area, where several young children were learning to ride. It was a beautiful, warm sight and although it filled her with a sort of happiness, she couldn’t help but think of her home, of Daniel and of Henry. 

The sound of knocking pulled her from her reverie and she turned, arms folding across her chest. She smiled slightly at the man standing before her, knowing he looked familiar but not having spoken to him before. She figured he must have been one of the casual stable hands, although he looked a little too old for that.

“May I help you?” she asked, stepping away from the window to stand in front of her desk. 

The tall, muscled man grinned, extending at hand for her to shake, “I’m Jack Johnson. I’m the horse trainer here…well actually, George and I take turns with that really. We hadn’t met yet so I thought I’d come up and introduce myself,” he explained, shaking her hand firmly.

Regina shook his hand, her brow furrowing as she took in his words. The owners of the stables had said something about two horse trainers but that one was away for business or something. She smiled, relaxing a little as she took in the man’s friendly and comfortable demeanour.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Johnson, I’m Regina Mills,” she tells him, pulling her hand back against her body. 

Jack chuckled, “Please, call me Jack.”

Regina nods at the request, “Alright. Jack,” she says after a moment’s hesitation. Her time spent as a Queen and Mayor made her unaccustomed to informalities like this. She rarely addressed anyone by their first names, hadn’t for quite a long time and most people just let her. Even someone did dare to contradict her like that she usually just kept on calling them by their titles but, this was a new her; one free from being the Evil Queen or Madame Mayor. That’s why she acquiesced with his request, finding it odd yet altogether comfortable in saying his name.

“Well,” Jack started, hands falling to rest on his hips casually, “I better get back to it. It was lovely to meet you Ms. Mills,” he said, turning to leave. 

“Regina,” she blurted out as he turned away from her. She had no idea what had possessed her to say it but it’d come out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “If you’re allowing me to call you Jack, please, call me Regina,” she tells him, staring at him with a funny feeling bubbling in her stomach.

“If you insist,” Jack grins as he turns back, nodding his head at her. “I’ll see you later Regina.” 

Regina watched him leave, leaning against her desk as she did so. There was a feeling in her stomach, one she was trying to quell. It was odd, the man’s whole persona, his aura seemed to be calling to her and she didn’t know what to make of it. She shook her head, trying to dispel herself of the silly thoughts, moving around her desk to sit back down and resume her work. Her mind however, couldn’t help but drift back to Jack Johnson repeatedly.

*****

“Look Mom, I don’t know when we’ll be back okay. Things seem to be…a lot more complicated then we thought,” the blonde Saviour sighs, running a hand through her hair as she listens to Mary Margaret speak on the other end. “I know mom. I’ll talk to you later. Yeah, bye,” she says, disconnecting the call and shoving her phone back in to her pocket.

Emma’s standing just outside the front door, leaning against the brick wall as she was talking. Looking around the garden she can’t help but wonder if Regina planted any of these or if she tends to the garden at all. She shakes her head then, she couldn’t see Regina on hands and knees tending to a garden, at least not while she was so pregnant. 

That little detail had been quite a surprise actually, out of all the states she’d expected to find Regina in, pregnant was not one of them. Pregnant with an apparently hunky boyfriend for that matter, was not how Emma had pictured Regina outside of Storybrooke after all these years. She wondered if the man, Jack if she’d heard correctly, knew anything at all about Regina’s past lives; but judging by the fact that he didn’t know Henry was Regina’s son she highly doubted it. 

She stood awkwardly by the front door for a moment before deciding that Henry and Regina had been left alone for long enough and made her way back inside the house. Closing the front door behind her, she frowned at the silence, having expected to hear Henry’s now much deeper voice or even Regina’s but she heard nothing. Emma walked back towards the kitchen, freezing at the sight before her; Regina and Henry wrapped up in each other’s arms, engaged in a tight hug.

She knocked against the wall a little awkwardly, alerting them to her presence. She watched as the pulled apart and noted with sadness the tearstains on both their cheeks. Henry’s eyes were long dried but she could still see the slightest of tears in Regina’s eyes. The other woman looked away from the impromptu eye contact and so instead Emma focused her gaze back on Henry.

“You right kid?” she asked, walking over and ruffling his hair affectionately. 

“Yeah,” Henry nodded, trying to wipe at his eyes inconspicuously. 

“Good,” Emma replies. She looks over towards Regina, silently asking if she can sit. The brunette nods tightly, a hand moving down to rest against her swelled stomach. The three of them sit there for several moments in an almost awkward silence as each of them try to figure out what to say. It’s Emma who eventually breaks the silence, the awkwardness almost stifling. “So uh…who was the man?” she asks, cringing as the words leave her mouth.

Regina glances over to her, eyes wide and eyebrows raised at the question. She sighs however, sneaking a peek at Henry who is attempting to be uninterested by the question but really isn’t. 

“His name is Jack. He’s my…partner,” she eventually says, blushing only a little at the words.

“Partner?” Henry asks confused.

“She means her boyfriend kid,” Emma tells him, saving Regina from trying to explain it herself. 

Henry’s face falls a little. His mom had a boyfriend and she was having a baby. She was creating her own new little family and he wasn’t apart of it and that hurt him more than he thought anything could. It hurt even more than when he’d found out his mom had left. 

“Oh,” he replied, sinking into his seat, glaring at the wooden table in front of him. 

“Henry,” Regina started, sensing that something was wrong.

Henry glared at her, standing up from the table abruptly. “Don’t. It’s fine, I get it. You don’t love me anymore. That’s why you’re creating a whole new family with your boyfriend Jack and your stupid new baby!” he spat angrily, the angry tears spilling over onto his still young cheeks. He turns away, running from the kitchen and from the house, kicking at the garden fence as he went by. 

Emma called after him in shock as Regina just sat there sadly. “Regina…hey…you know he didn’t mean it. He’s just surprised and upset is all. He’ll come around,” she tells her, trying to comfort the brunette even though she knew it wouldn’t work. 

Regina stands, shaking her head as she does so. “It’s fine Emma. This is a lot for him to take in,” she says, moving over to the sideboard and writing something down on a piece of paper. She comes back over to the table, sliding the paper over to Emma. “This is my cell number and my home number. In case Henry ever wants to talk,” she says, smiling wistfully at the younger brunette. 

“Okay,” the blonde sighs, picking the paper up and tucking it into her pocket. “I uh…better go check on him,” she continues, heading towards the front door. 

Regina follows her, opening the door and ushering the blonde out. They stand on opposite sides of the threshold, both watching the other awkwardly. Looking over the blonde’s shoulder Regina see’s Henry slumped against their car, head down and hands in his pocket. Emma turns, following her gaze and sighs resignedly before turning back to face the ex-Evil Queen. 

“We’re going to be here for about a week. So…” she sighs again, not sure what she’s trying to say, “Look, I’ll try and get him to call you okay. We can go out and have lunch together one day alright? This was his idea and…he’ll come around Regina. I promise.”

Regina shakes her head, “Don’t make promises you can’t keep Miss Swan. They don’t ever work out well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Long time not update but I do have a good excuse. I moved right and I couldn't get internet for about two months and I had this full chapter saved on my computer with no way to move it. Basically, I was stuck editing and re-writing this while waiting for my internet to get put back on. Well anyway, I got may internet back on my computer so therefore here is an update! Yay!
> 
> Also, the flashback was set for Jack and Regina's first meeting! It was originally going to be a different flashback but I liked this one better. I think their meeting was kind of cute but I could be biased. Anyway, please tell me what you thought!
> 
> Please review. :) LT.


	4. Chapter 4

Three days had passed since the unexpected arrival of Henry and Emma; disrupting Regina’s new found peace. She didn’t have the heart however to be angry at them for the disruption because if she’s honest with herself, she had felt like this was inevitably going to happen. Still, now things were strained between her and Jack; the omission of a son, a teenager in fact, was quite a big thing for her lover to process. 

It was why she now sitting in the lounge room, later than usual waiting for Jack to come home. They’d barely spoken since the day Henry had shown up on their doorstep and she didn’t know what to make of it. She’d managed to briefly tell him the basics really; he was her adopted son, he found his birthmother and then he went off to live with his birthmother. 

They needed to talk, because she couldn’t stand the way they’d been going for the past three days. Unfortunately it seemed like Jack was trying to avoid talking with her and it was worry Regina greatly. Resting a hand on her swollen stomach she felt her baby kick restlessly, like it had done for the last few days. It was like her unborn child could sense the tension between its mother and father and that only made Regina worry more. She and Jack needed to talk, they needed to resolve what was wrong and Regina definitely needed to make him see that keeping her former life a secret didn’t change who she was. 

Regina did not want her baby to be born into a troubled family although she knew the chances of that were quite, quite slim. She had always been hopeful of a happy ending and she was so close to it now, she was not going to let something like this ruin it for her yet again. Hearing the front door open she looks towards the doorway of their lounge room expectantly and much to her surprise Jack walks in slowly, sitting in the armchair opposite her. 

They sit in silence for several long moments, neither looking at the other. It was growing tense and uncomfortable and it was doing nothing for Regina’s nerves. Finally Regina looked over to Jack, taking in his stiff posture and fidgeting hands. He was confused and nervous, she could tell and she knew if she didn’t say something soon he wouldn’t talk at all.

“Jack, please…we need to talk. We can’t keep avoiding each other like this,” Regina pleaded, looking at him imploringly, a hand resting on her stomach. 

Jack took a deep breath before finally letting his gaze meet hers. He looked her straight in the eye, seeing the fear, confusion and weariness that she was trying so hard to hide. He knew he was the cause for most of those emotions and he felt horrible at making his lover feel that way. He loved Regina, more than he’d ever loved anyone in his life and he hated that he was hurting her like this. 

He was confused though and hurt him self. He and Regina had been together for almost three years and not once in the whole time they’d known each other and been together had she mentioned she had a child already. It had been a shock and not one he’d been prepared for or handled very well.   
Regina had told him the basics when he came home after the boy and his birthmother had shown up. He had still been far too angry to listen to anything more than that and now it’d gone on three days with nothing more than a good morning or goodnight between the two. Jack hated that he’d distanced himself from Regina like that but he’d been far too angry the last few days to really consider her feelings. Now though with her looking at him like that, he knew it was time to let go of some of the anger and let his lover explain the situation further. 

“You’re right Gi,” he started slowly, using his nickname for her as he leaned forward so his elbows rested against his knees and his hands clasped together above them. “We do need to talk and you need to explain because I don’t quite understand how you can go almost three years and not tell me you have a son already,” he continued, trying not to sound too angry but the frustration over her omission was clear in his voice.

“It’s complicated Jack,” she began but her lover shook his head, interrupting her.

“You’ve told me that already. I don’t care how complicated it is Regina; I need to know; especially if you plan to spend more time with your son. It’s only fair isn’t it?” he asked, his frustration getting the better of him for a moment. 

“I know Jack. It’s just…it’s hard to talk about alright. You know I was married young and my husband, he wanted a child. I didn’t think I could get pregnant so we adopted, that’s how I got Henry. My husband died before his first birthday so Henry never met his…father,” Regina told him, being creative with the truth. 

Jack didn’t know anything about her fairytale life and she had wanted it to stay that way but she was worried even more now that it’d all come to life. The thought of Jack finding out who she really is was terrifying and she didn’t know how she’d been able to handle it. If he knew he was having a child with the Evil Queen she had no doubt he would take their child from her as soon as it was born and she couldn’t let that happen. She loved all her children greatly and she was not about to lose another because of her vicious title. She may have been called the Evil Queen but she wasn’t evil, no matter how many times people told her she was. 

Jack watched as a barrage of emotions flitted across her face as she lost herself deep in thought. Pain was obvious through her emotions; it was one Jack knew well on her face but one he hardly saw. Regina had an almost unnatural ability to conceal whatever she was feeling and he knew it was only because of her pregnancy that that ability was diminished. He knew she felt deeply and it worried him just how much she felt thinking about her other son. He watched as determination settled on her features and he could only hope it would be enough to get through this conversation without an angry or uncalled for outburst from either of them.

“How long did you…raise him before his birthmother came in to the picture?” Jack asked, trying to choose his words carefully. 

Regina swallowed thickly, thinking back to the first time she’d met Emma Swan. “He brought her back when he was 10,” she told him softly, rubbing her stomach in consolation. 

“Brought her back?” he asked, confused by her wording. 

She looked up then and sighed sadly. She really didn’t like thinking about the beginning of the end of her life but she wanted to tell Jack and she wanted to tell him as much of the truth as she could. She loved him, really truly loved him; maybe not as much as she’d loved Daniel but she loved Jack in a completely and wholly different and far healthier way. 

“Yes. He uh…He ran away to Boston to find her. I was terrified and then he shows up at our house in a strange car with a strange woman and tells me he found his real mom. I was…devastated,” she recalls sadly. 

“What happened then? Why is he living with her and not you?” Jack asks, trying hard to understand the situation his lover was now in. He knew how adoptions worked and legally that boy should be Regina’s but he could sense there was more to it than just legalities.

“I…did some things. Things I’m not proud of and Miss Swan was given custody of Henry,” she tells him tightly, not wanting to go into detail over how she’d lost Henry.

“What things Regina? A birthmother doesn’t get custody of the child she gave up for adoption for no reason,” he questioned, sitting up straighter and looking at her almost sternly. 

Regina sighed as she took in his expression. Glancing away she braced herself for his contempt when she explained, creatively again, about how Emma got Henry. “I tried to get rid of Miss Swan and…Henry got hurt because of it. I hate myself for it everyday and that’s all I’m going to say on it,” she told him disdainfully. 

The horse trainer looked at his lover carefully. He could see, despite her attempts to hide her emotions, that she deeply regretted what had happened and that it was painful for her to talk about it. Eventually he did want to know what had happened but he wasn’t going to push her on it, not now anyway. 

“Alright,” he acquiesced softly; knowing now wasn’t the time to push it. He looked at her, catching her gaze and silently encouraging her to continue on with whatever else she had to say. He wanted her to speak, to tell him the truth but he’d been with her long enough to know that pushing her too hard only made her shut down and that wasn’t something he wanted the moment.

Regina turned her gaze to him surprised by his reaction. Her eyes widened, not comprehending the fact that Jack was still sitting somewhat calmly across from her and that he didn’t appear horrified at her. She didn’t understand it and she couldn’t help but question him on it.

“Why aren’t you horrified?” she exclaimed, voice higher than normal.

He looked at her calmly. He could tell she had been expecting the worst, she always did, and that was why he was trying to be calm and non-judgemental over what she was telling him. He loved her deeply but he also knew she was prone to overdramatising things and he already knew that if he pushed her or judge her in any way she’d take it badly and he didn’t want that. Not only did he not have the patience to deal with an overdramatic Regina he also knew the extra stress of it could be harmful towards her and their baby.

“Regina honey, I can tell how much you regret hurting Henry. I can see it in your eyes. You didn’t mean for him to get hurt and I can see that it haunts that he did,” he explains, hoping he’d calmed her overdramatic tendencies.

Jack watched as Regina smiled at the words like no one had ever acknowledged how deeply she regretted hurting her son. He briefly wondered if anyone had acknowledged that though she had apparently hurt her son that she was more than sorry for it. The look on her face though told him that apparently, no one ever had.

“Thank you Jack,” she says quietly, looking at him like he was the answer to all questions. It was a little disconcerting but she quickly snapped out of it and continued speaking. 

“I stayed in Storybrooke, that’s where I lived before I moved, for a while after he went to live with Miss Swan. It was too hard for me though, living in the same town as the son I’d raised for 10 years only for him not to even look my way. He was the reason I stayed there for so long, hoping he could love me again but eventually…it just got too painful and I left shortly after his 11th birthday. I’ve never looked back. All I want is for him to be happy, even if it is without me,” she told him, trying to hold in the tears that had begun to pool in her eyes as she spoke. 

He didn’t really know what to say to what she’d just told him but he could see it hurt her to talk about it. He’d always had an inkling that her past wasn’t a very happy one and this only seemed to help prove his thoughts. Yes she’d obviously been at fault too but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel the pain of her actions either, there were always two sides after all. 

Jack stood from the armchair and Regina panicked at the movement. This was it, Jack was going to leave and she had no one else to blame but herself. She had lied to him and now that he knew he’d been lied to and knew the truth, he didn’t want anything to do with her now. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply to try and stop the tears and heartache she could already feel building. 

Her pregnant frame however jumped in surprise when she felt a body sit down next to her and hands take hers in their own. Opening her eyes slowly, she swallows as she looks up to see Jack sitting beside her, holding her hands. She stares at him nervously, brows furrowed deeply as she tries to pre-empt just what’s going to happen.

“Gi, please don’t cry. I’m not leaving,” he says and upon seeing her shake her head about to say something he continues quickly, “I know that’s what you were thinking Regina. I know you. I may not know all of your past or what you’ve been through but I do know you now,” he tells her sincerely, gazing deeply into her eyes. “Look, I’m not happy that you kept the fact you have a son from me but…hearing you talk about it I think I understand it a little. There’s obviously a lot of regret and hurt involving what happened with your son. I’m just glad you’ve finally told me.”

Regina nodded at his words, calming herself down from the terrified state she had been close to entering. She looked at Jack carefully, seeing the honest in his words and smiling a watery smile.

“I understand that Jack. I know I should have told you all these a long time ago but I just didn’t know how. Thank you though, for listening to me finally and understanding. You scared me there for a little Jack,” she admitted almost shyly.

“I know I did Gi and I’m very sorry for that. These last few days I was just so shocked and well angry that I didn’t know what to do. Avoiding you seemed like the best idea but I know now it wasn’t. We should’ve talked properly three days ago but I really did need that time to come to terms with the fact that you have a 14 year old son. It’s not every day you find that out about your partner,” he tells somewhat sheepishly. 

He was a little bit ashamed of his actions the passed few days even though he knew he shouldn’t be. It was a shock, a big one and he had a right to react however he needed but he hated that he’d hurt Regina by his actions. He knew she would understand though, she had her own coping methods herself and she couldn’t fault him for dealing with it they way he did. 

“I know you didn’t Jack but I was still nervous. I should have told you and I’m sorry I didn’t but I’m glad that you understand why I didn’t. I love you, so very much and I’m glad that we’re working through this,” she told him, a far happier smile gracing her beautiful features.

Jack smiled back at her, squeezing her hands gently in his. “I am glad for that as well and I love you very much too,” he told her with a small grin, his anger over the situation having subsided now that they’d talked properly. He leant forward, pressing a kiss to her lips, letting go of her hands as his own came up to cup her cheeks lovingly. Regina smiled in to the kiss as she let her hands drop to his knees and rest there as they kissed.

After several moments they pulled away from the kiss, resting their foreheads together sweetly. Jack’s hands dropped from her cheeks and rested on her forearms comfortingly. They stayed like that for several minutes before Regina decided to speak. 

“Jack…this might be too much but, would you like to meet Henry? Properly I mean. I’m meeting him and Miss Swan tomorrow for lunch and I’d really like it if you were there,” she asked with baited breath, wondering just what Jack would say. 

A few moments of silence passed as Jack thought over the request. He could that this was important to Regina and he could tell from the little bit she’d spoken of the teenager that she loved him greatly. He loved Regina and if this teenage boy was important to her then he’d make his best effort with the kid.

“Of course Regina.”

*****

_15 Years Ago_

_Today was the day and despite how ridiculously nervous Regina was she was far more excited. She paced around her foyer nervously, glancing at her watch every 5 seconds or so. It was almost 10 and she knew they’d be here soon, she’d been assured they’d be her right on time and for once she chose to believe someone else for once._

_Glancing at her watch she noticed it was exactly 10 on the dot and her heart dropped when she realised no one was here yet. They’d changed their mind; they weren’t going to let her have a child. They’d figured out she was evil somehow and now they’d never let her have the child she’d wanted for so long._

_Tears pricked in her eyes as anger bubbled in her stomach. She’d wanted a child for longer than she’d even been Queen and when she’d found out she couldn’t have children she’d been devastated. She had descended into evil and magic quite quickly after that, pushing the thought of children far from her mind. It wasn’t until arriving in this world that she even entertained the idea of somehow procuring a child._

_It took her almost 18 years before she gained the courage to seek out Mr. Gold to help her adopt a child. The process hadn’t been as quick as she’d assumed but she was patient because she knew a child of her very own was worth it. She had been so excited and now it was crashing down around her, she wasn’t going to get a child. After all, who’d give a child to the Evil Queen._

_A loud knock at the door broke her from her dark thoughts and her heart stopped for just a moment. She rushed to the door before remembering she had to show some type of decorum, a lady never ran a voice in her head scolded, sounding scarily like her mother. She reached the door calmer, taking the time to straight her clothes and hair before pulling the door open with a practiced smile._

_Opening the door her eyes landed on one thing and one thing only, her first genuine smile in far too long gracing her features unbidden. The baby was in a carrier, swaddled snugly in a light blue blanket and she could feel her heart soar at her baby boy. She invited the social worker in, eyes watching the baby as if he was the most precious thing in the world and to her he was._

_She led them into her study where the woman sat on the couch, placing the carrier on the coffee table. Regina, so enchanted by the tiny little infant that would be hers, forgot an social niceties, not even bothering to offer the other woman a drink. She hovered by the coffee table, watching as the baby’s eyes slowly opened and looked up catching hers for the first time._

_“May I hold him please?” Regina asked softly, gesturing to the little boy, looking away from him for the first time._

_Her brow furrowed at the amused look on the other woman’s face and she blushed as she realised it was directed at her. She sat down across from the other woman sheepishly, clasping her hands together over her knees._

_“You can hold him you know,” the other woman informs her kindly, nodding to the baby boy._

_Regina did not need to be told twice, reaching over to unbuckle the infant from his carrier before carefully picking him up. She held him delicately with both hands, bringing him closer and resting her arms on her legs so he was lying against them comfortably. She stared down at him transfixed as he gazed curiously back up at her, a little hand stretching above his face._

_The social worker watched as the new mother held her child with a smile, hating to interrupt the moment. “Miss Mills, you’ll just have to sign these and I’ll need to know a name,” she told her gently, sliding the required papers and a pen across the coffee table._

_Regina looked up again, smiling with tears pooling in her eyes. She nodded at the words, slipping one hand carefully out from underneath him to reach over and sign her name. She held on to him tightly, so as to keep him from falling as she signed then leaned back again, letting her free hand tracing his chubby little features._

_“And a name Miss Mills?” the other woman asked, taking the papers back and storing them away in her briefcase._

_“Henry. Henry Daniel Mills,” she told the lady, eyes still on her son as his little fingers fisted around her pinky. “My little Henry,” she murmured still watching her baby boy._

_“That’s a lovely name,” the other woman said, standing and picking up the carrier, “That’s all for today. I’ll show myself out. I hope you’ll be very happy together Miss Mills.”_

_“We will be,” Regina whispered softly as the woman left, beaming down at her son, her Henry._

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello there. It's certainly been a long time since I've written to be honest. I was initially hesitant about posting this but, I'm glad I'm going to. This will heavily feature an OC, which I'm quite sure you've gathered thus far. This will be a work in progress and because I do go to college full-time, I can't promise any kind of regular updates. But, if you've ever followed or read my stories before you'll know I'm notorious for irregular updates.
> 
> Anyway, I really love to see what you think. So please review if you'd like. :) LT.


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